


No Way Out

by DaviesInTheMaking



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cave-In, Lovers Rescuing Each Other, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 21:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19858111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaviesInTheMaking/pseuds/DaviesInTheMaking
Summary: Levi, Erwin, and the other Scouts are on an expedition when they come across a cave. Levi, being the smallest, goes in to search it, but it collapses on top of him and Erwin has to quell his panic and race to save the man he loves.





	No Way Out

**Author's Note:**

> This is another fic that I wrote with my writing partner, Elegy Rivers. There's no sex--sorry 'bout it--but there is love and affection and drama, so I hope you enjoy, leave kudos, and comment!

“Levi? Levi! Can you hear me?!” 

Levi slowly woke up inside a dark, cold space, coughing from dust. He was on his stomach, pinned down by rocks above him. One side of his head was stinging and wet, one leg burning and hurting terribly. He heard Erwin call his name and he tried to reply, coughed again, and called out weakly, hoping the commander could hear him. 

Erwin thought he heard a sound from within the cave as he stood in front of the wall of rocks, but he couldn’t be sure—his own heart was beating loudly in his ears. 'Right, focus. Set up a perimeter. Make sure Titans don’t interfere with this disaster. '  
“Hanji,” he called over his shoulder to the scientist a couple feet away from him, “take Anne’s squad and your own to the trees, keep a ring of defense while we help Levi.”

“Sir,” Hanji barked in obedience, suddenly serious as she scurried away. 

Erwin turned his attention back to the hole. Keep calm, Smith. He’ll be alright. “Levi. What’s happened? Can you move?”

After a moment, Levi remembered being on the expedition and finding the cave and being forced into it because he was the shortest. As he realized what had happened, tendrils of panic and raw fear started creeping up on him. Stay calm, stay calm. You’re fine. Just get out and you’ll be fine. He tried moving, but he could only move one arm side to side and could barely move one leg. 

“Barely!” he yelled, his throat raw with dust and starting to shake with fear. 

He could hear the tremor in the captain’s voice and thought that he must’ve been in quite a bit of pain. “Levi, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Only focus on the words I’m saying.” He needed to keep him distracted, so the fear in his voice would go away. “Everyone has gone to set up a perimeter around us. It’s just you and me. I want you to breathe in very slowly. Deep breath. Can you do that for me?”

'I can’t move. I can’t move. I can’t move.' It was the only thing he could think and he could feel his body trembling, his teeth chattering in fear. He knew he was hyperventilating, but he couldn’t seem to stop. He heard Erwin’s voice again, trying to calm him down. He tried to answer, but his teeth were chattering too hard and all that came out was a pathetic whine. He tried to breathe deeply and managed to choke out, “Yeah. I’ll try.”

“Good. Everything will be alright. You’ll be out in no time, just do your best to stay calm.” Erwin had to be the voice of reason, no matter how much he was panicking himself. “Breathe in. Hold it. Now breathe out. Good. Do it again. That’s it.” 

Mike appeared behind him, his expression rather unreadable. “Okay, Levi, Mike and I are working to get the rocks out of the way.” He motioned for Mike to take a few people and start moving rocks in front of them. “How much pain are you in now and where?”

The whining sound came again, and he hoped that Erwin couldn’t hear it. He tried to breathe steadily, but he was still incredibly shaky and on the verge of abject panic. “U-um, I don’t… My leg is hurt. And my head is bleeding. I don’t—I’m not in any pain right now. And he wasn’t—the fear was giving him enough adrenaline, so he didn’t feel anything besides the pressure of the rocks on his back and leg. 

Erwin pretended he couldn’t hear the whine that Levi was emitting, instead trying to focus on the information about his pain and injuries. If he goes into shock… He instantly pushed the thought away—despite the fact that it was still a distinct possibility, he didn’t want to imagine the potential outcome shock would bring: almost certain death. “Okay, Levi. You must stay aware of your surroundings right now; please tell me what you see and hear. I know it’s difficult to do that, so if you can’t tell me, just talk to me about whatever you like. Anything at all.”

Levi’s chest tightened, and he cried out in agony and fear, tears falling from his eyes. “I d—I don’t…” He swallowed thickly. “I don’t see anything. I—I see a little light from above and in front of me, but I don’t see anything else.” A thought occurred to him that left him paralyzed with terror. “Erwin, I…I don’t wanna die like this.”

He stiffened. He had never heard Levi speak with so much fear, and it terrified him. No. Levi has been your rock on countless missions. It’s time for you to be his. “Levi, you will not die here. I promise you. Mike,” he turned to the taller man, “How much more time until the rocks are safely removed?” 

“About five more minutes,” Mike responded, loud enough for them both to hear. 

“Five more minutes, Levi. You can do this. I believe in you. You’ve survived so much. This will not be the end. Are you breathing the way I told you?” He heard an inhale and exhale tht were rather rushed, but it was better than nothing. “Good. now, why don’t you talk to me a bit more. We can discuss whatever you want, as long as you’re talking to me.” 'I need to hear his voice, he pleaded with the universe. I know he’s terrified, but please…I need his voice.'

'Five more minutes. Five more minutes. I won’t die. Erwin says I won’t', Levi kept telling himself. He felt an intense rush of relief when he realized he could see more light ahead of him. It was faint, but it was still there. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice steady, his breathing more even. “I shouldn’t have said that. It was unprofessional.”

Erwin could hardly believe his ears. He’s feeling apologetic for being afraid? “Love,” he said quietly so only Levi could hear him, “there’s nothing to be sorry for. I’d be scared too. I’m the one who should be sorry—we sent you in there without a thought to the cave’s structural integrity. I never should have put you in this position, it’s my fault you’re in there in the first place.” After a few more rocks were removed, Erwin was able to slip an arm through. He found Levi’s cold hand and held it gently. 

He gripped the commander’s hand, tears still on his face and a few still leaking out. He was so relieved and so grateful to Erwin and everyone helping him. Part of him still felt like he should’ve helped himself and maybe he would talk about that with Erwin later, but in that moment, he was just happy to have enough rocks removed that he could hold the man’s hand. Some more rocks were removed and he shut his eyes against the sudden bright light, coughing from the dust. 

Thanks to the removal of so many rocks, the cave was bigger than when Levi went in, and Erwin was able to hunch over and go inside, crouching next to Levi and inspecting his injuries. He saw the rock on top of Levi’s left leg and back and immediately had a plan. “Levi, if this rock is gone, would you be able to move your arms? If so, I’m gonna lift it enough so that you can elbow crawl out from under it, and then I can help you escape completely. Does that sound okay to you?”

All he wanted was to go to sleep and wake up in a bath. Now that the adrenaline was mostly gone, his leg was starting to become agonizing and the side of his head was burning and stinging. “Yeah, whatever. Just fucking do something,” he says with pure exhaustion and more than a little pain in his voice. 

He struggled to lift the rock off of Levi’s body and shouted, “Okay, get out of there, Levi!” He saw the pain on the captain’s face, but the determination in his eyes revealed just how strong he was. 

Levi slowly slid across the cave floor, grunting and hissing through his teeth. He was so desperate to get out that he was already at the mouth of the cave, Hanji shooting down from a tree and running over to join Mike near him, when Erwin let down the stone with a huge huff. Suddenly, the walls of the cave gave a groaning sound and the ground under Erwin’s feet cracked and broke from the cave floor, sending him tumbling down about twelve feet into a hidden chasm. His head hit the new floor with a sickening thud, and the last thing Erwin registered before slipping into unconsciousness was Levi shouting his name. 

He refused to believe it. He refused to believe it. It wasn’t real, Erwin hadn’t just fallen through the cave floor. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead. It didn’t seem like that far of a fall and given how he’d fallen, he probably wasn’t dead. Levi knew he needed to do something, but he couldn’t think, couldn’t move. He felt a hand shake his shoulder and looked to see Hanji next to him, her eyes wild and afraid, mouth moving. 

“What?” 

“Levi, what do we do?” she asked him.

Suddenly, reality snapped back to him and he hardened and looked back at her. “Hanji, I need a splint for my leg now. Get me that and the rope in the provisions and equipment wagon and I’ll go down and get him.”

“Levi, you’re hurt. Let me or Mike go down.”

“You asked me what to do and I’m telling you. He was there for me, Hanji,” he reminded her in a softer tone. “Let me be there for him.”

She studied him for a moment before standing and turning to the others. “Mike, go grab the rope! Petra, Oluo, get me sticks! Lots of sticks! We’re gonna tie those to Levi’s leg and lower him with the rope into the hole! Got it?”

“Yes, Section Commander!” they replied before scurrying off. 

Levi pulled himself over to the hole and looked down into the blackness. 'You’re gonna be okay, Erwin. Just five more minutes.'

Erwin wasn’t unconscious for long, but when he awoke, he’d almost wished he’d stayed unconscious. There was a tremendous pounding in his head and he felt pretty nauseous. 

'Okay, stay calm. Assess the situation.' But as he sat up and leaned back against a wall, a dreadful realization came over him: how on Earth could he assess anything when he couldn’t see? He was surrounded by darkness, and the only indication that he wasn’t dead was the pain and muffled voices and slight light above him. He opened his mouth to shout up to anyone who could hear, but a wave of dizziness overtook him and it was over thirty seconds before he was able to speak.

“Hello?” he called up, his voice harsh. “Is anyone there? I can’t see and my head is—” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence due to a sharp pain radiating up his right arm. 'Shit, my arm seems to be sprained.'

Levi’s heart flew at the sound of Erwin’s voice. He sounded like he was in pain, but he was alive. “Erwin? Erwin, can you hear me? You’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna come get you.”

He was both thrilled and terrified to hear his love’s voice. On one hand, he hadn’t been close enough to the collapse to get any further injuries, but he should be far away from the cave, receiving medical attention. 

“Thank you, Levi, but what are you doing here?” he fought to speak through the pain in his head. “You need a medic this instant! Your leg needs a proper splint right away. Where are Hanji and Mike? They can help me. I don’t want you near this cave any longer.”

“Erwin, stop being a piece of shit idiot. I’m the smallest one here, it’s easiest to lower me down to get you. Hanji’s got people working on a splint for my leg. I’m coming to get you whether you approve or not.”

Panic began to settle into his heart. He couldn’t let Levi do it, not with his leg in the state he was. “Levi,” he begged softly, only so his captain could hear, “please don’t do this. I won’t be able to forgive myself if you come down here. My foolishness and lack of planning has already broken your leg. If anything else happens to you…” He felt a tear escape his eyes and tried to convince himself it was just the dust in the air. “Levi, please…leave the cave.”

The emotion and the begging made him freeze, suddenly uncertain. He knew he should be the one to help Erwin because the commander helped him, but he was begging him not to go. “I…” He gripped the edge of the hole and struggled to see Erwin in the darkness. His chest tightened again and more tears fell from his eyes and down into the hole. “Erwin…I… I need to help you. Nothing else will happen to me. I need to do this.”

He smiled sadly. He didn’t like the situation, but he understood how Levi felt—he would have done the same thing if their positions were reversed. “If you must,” he said finally. He then directed his attention to Hanji and Mike, speaking up so he could be heard by more people. “Squad leaders, if there’s the slightest sign of another cave-in, you are to get Levi out as quickly as possible. That’s an order. Levi, my arm appears to be sprained. However, I can grab your hand if I really try. It’s too dark to see, but I’ll do my best to reach for you.”

“We’ll figure it out when everything gets set up.”

Hanji grabbed the sticks and some rope and went into the cave to tie them to Levi’s leg, making a splint for him, while Mike tied a long length of rope to a close tree. 

“Levi,” Mike said, “I think the best way to do this would be to make a harness for you, lower you, and then you and Erwin can hold onto each other and we can pull you back up.”

“That sounds good,” Levi replied, allowing Hanji to help him stand and lean against the cave wall. “Erwin, what do you think?”

“Given the extent of our injuries, that sounds hard, but doable. We’ll have to work with what we have,” Erwin replied, waiting in the dark while his friends above finished their rescuing device. 

Hanji and Mike tied rope around Levi’s waist and around his upper thighs and he sat down at the edge of the hole. Holding tight to the rope, they slowly lowered him ass-first down into the hole. After only a few moments, Levi could hear Erwin’s pained breathing and a few seconds later, his ass touched the ground. He felt Erwin’s body heat and reached out, his hand landing on the commander’s leg. “Erwin? Are you okay?”

“Levi, are you alright?” Erwin spoke at the same time. He chuckled and replied, “Aside from a sprained arm and possible concussion, I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here.”

“Agreed. Come over here.”

Erwin slowly crawled over to him and Levi blindly untied himself and tied up his commander as best as he could, pulling on the rope to make sure it was steady. 

“Haji, Mike, pull us up,” Levi called up. 

The two of them pulled and the captain and commander were soon out of the hole, Mike running up to untie Erwin and pull him out of the cave and Hanji helping Levi. 

'It’s over, it’s over', Erwin thought in relief as Mike swiftly untied him. His thoughts quickly turned to his captain. 'He was so brave, coming in after me.' 

“So, did you guys find anything?” Hanji asked, sitting next to Levi as he leaned against her. “Is there anything useful in that cavern?”

“Nothing aside from an exercise in mental control for injuries,” Erwin responded sardonically. “We’re done here. Escort Levi to the medical cart, I’ll be right behind.”

Haji stood and started to pick Levi up, but he scrambled up to his foot and stumbled back. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

She settled for helping him hobble to the medic and as they went, he knew he would have to have a conversation with Erwin later, but in that moment, he was just glad that the man was okay.

As he watched Levi get help at last, the reality of their episode hit him like a ton of bricks. They had both been willing to throw their lives away without a second thought. 'By the Walls', he realized. 'I’m truly in love with Levi Ackerman.'


End file.
